Feature Description

The mobile network operators form roaming partnerships to provide seamless services to their subscribers in geographies beyond their network reach. Operator network boundaries are designated by public land mobile networks (PLMN). The home network for a subscriber is called an HPLMN and the visited network, which renders the mobile service is termed as the VPLMN.

The VPLMN provides access network services and packet routing to the packet core, whereas the HPLMN provides data network access to the subscriber. This feature enables the UPF to support the flavor of routing that is termed as the Home Routed (HR) roaming.

This feature provides the following functionalities on the vUPF:

  • Handle the dummy PDRs with associated FAR action as buffer.

  • Buffer the incoming packets before rule matching.

  • Handle the QoS and FAR updates from the SMF for debuffering of packets.

  • Send the buffered packets after matching with the PDR.

  • Support for sending vUPF traffic over Fast Path.

  • Support the N9 interface GTP-U tunnel.

  • Support for LI.

  • Support for MonSub CLI command and PCAP file.

This feature provides the following functionalities on the vUPF and hUPF:

  • Support QoS flow Based Charging (QBC) on the UPF.